Unyielding Destiny
by Shuckle Master
Summary: A man wakes up in an open field with a single name in his memory: Chrom. My retelling of Awakening. Rated M for violence and sexual themes. Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except my OCs?...maybe?
1. Chapter 1

Here is my latest project!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, duh.

Honestly I've been wanting to do an Awakening retelling for a loooong time. This is my favorite game for the 3DS, and I've always wanted to do the rest. But uh first a few things I should say:

It will be starring Robin, not me. The default one with white hair and-screw it, the one from smash bros.

I WILL be doing pairings! Rejoice! Sadly, however, I will NOT be marrying Lucina. It pains me to say this, as she's my number one waifu for laifu, but at this point it's incredibly overused in stories like these. Want your girl picked? Convince me. Just not Lucina. Or Nowi/Nah, Naga forbid.

I kill characters. More than most people do. Don't worry, I'm not going Game of Thrones on these poor guys, but there ARE a considerable amount of deaths. And no, plot relating characters that 'retreat' aren't safe either. So Lissa can die pretty much.

Don't expect updates often. I have two other stories I'm writing, so this is a side project. It'll get its focus eventually, just have patience.

That's all. Now without further ado, so begins the first chapter of Unyielding Fate.

000

"Chrom, we have to do SOMETHING!"

"Well what do we propose we do?"

"I…. I-I don't know."

The sound of voices woke him up with start, and his curiosity about who they were was suddenly cut from his mind as pain shot through his head, forcing his eyes to shoot open.

Two people were leaning over him, relief etched on their face as they saw his awakened state.

"Ah, I see you're awake now," said the older of the two. He had blue hair, thick muscles, and wore a single shoulder guard over his light armor. Despite his intimidating expression, he had a warm smile, and his features were soft.

The younger was a girl, with blond pigtails and the same smile and soft expression, leading him to believe the two were related. "Hi there!"

The older man chuckled a little. "There are better places to take a nap then on the ground, you know."

He held out a hand, and the man took it, rising to his feet. The two stared at each other for a moment, before Robin looked awkwardly away. _This guy has REALLY deep blue eyes._

"Are you alright?" Asked the man with blue hair, his smile changing to a look of concern.

The man forced a small smile through his splitting headache. "Yes, thank you Chrom."

The man blinked. The name had come to him. In fact, that dream he was having…..that look of betrayal….

"Ah, so you know of me?" Chrom asked, an eyebrow raised.

The man rubbed his nose. "No…It Just-I…. I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused at the moment…."

"It's fine, we'll get you to the nearest village and settle this," said Chrom patiently. "What's your name, stranger?"

"I-I..." The man froze. He didn't know his own NAME!? He tried to think of a memory, anything, but nothing came up except for Chrom's goddamn blue eyes.

"Oh! I've heard of this!" Piped up the girl in excitement. "It's called amnesia!"

"It's called a load of Pegasus dung," came a calm, yet suspicious voice. The man had somehow missed the third of the three travelers, which was impressive, considering his tall stature, intimidating expression, and bold blue armor. "You expect us to believe that you know milord's name and not your own?"

The man, caught off guard, stuttered. "I-no, I don't…..know…? Where even am I?"

"What if he IS telling the truth?" said Chrom pointedly. "We can't just leave him here; what kind of shepherds would we be then?"

"With all due respect," countered Frederick. "It would not be wise to let a wolf into our flock."

The man blinked. "Wait you guys tend sheep? In full armor?"

"It's a dangerous job," said Chrom seriously. "Just ask Frederick the Wary over here."

"A title I wear with pride," said Frederick. "Gods forbid SOMEONE shows a hint of caution."

"I understand Frederick, it's in your job description," said the man, hoping to get on the intimidating knight's good side. "I would do no less."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," snorted Frederick, but not without a smile.

For the first time since waking up, the man grinned. "Well it was worth a shot."

Chrom chuckled, and the girl giggled. Even Frederick managed a grim smile.

"Let's talk at the nearest village. There are better places to speak then an open field, and Ylisse is known for its hospitality," said Chrom, clasping his shoulder. "Though some introductions seem to be in order."

Chrom smiled slightly. "As you know, I'm Chrom, and Frederick is my second in command. The delicate one is my sister, Lissa."

"I am NOT delicate!" Lissa shouted, punching Chrom in the shoulder. "Excuse my brother, he can be thick."

Frederick was pulling on the reins of a powerful looking warhorse, its armor the same color as Frederick himself. "I hate to interrupt, but if we want to reach the village by nightfall, it would be wise to hasten our pace."

Chrom nodded. "Come along then, friend. We'll sort everything out when you arrive. Then you can nap somewhere more comfortable."

Frederick snapped the reins and his horse started off in a quick trot, making sure to shake his head at the man in disapproval. Lissa immediately began pestering the poor knight for a ride. The man followed them with a sigh.

"Why don't I get a say in this?" He asked, to nobody in particular.

000

Despite following strangers in a strange forest and traveling to a strange place in a strange land he couldn't even remember, the man had to admit to himself that whatever the land was, it WAS beautiful. The trees were green and vibrant, and he had to admit the little tune Lissa was humming was catchy, so he was in surprisingly good spirits.

"So…this place is called Ylisse? It's definitely something to look at," said the man, a bit out of breath in an attempt to catch up to Chrom's brisk pace. He apparently wasn't in the best physical shape, but at least Lissa seemed to be in a similar situation with her constant groaning and moaning.

Unfortunately, Frederick overheard, and responded before Chrom could get a chance. "You claim to know milord's name and not his Halidom? Ha! Pay this actor, he plays quite the fool!"

"Frederick…." Chrom said with a sigh.

"The furrowed brow is especially convincing."

"You really can't remember your own name?" Asked Lissa, desperate to change the conversation.

"I'm afraid not," said the man, ignoring Fredrick's snort of disbelief. "Though, heh I do seem to remember always hating it."

Lissa bounced up and down, momentarily forgetting her exhaustion. "Ooh! We can come up with a NEW name!?"

Chrom grinned at her. "I'm sure he dosen't-"

"Sure, that sounds like fun!" said the man, unsure of why he was so excited. He must have REALLY hated his old name.

"It should be something cool! Like uh…. Odin! Owain! Or Bubbles! Yeah! Bubbles! It's perfect!" Lissa exclaimed.

The man gave Chrom a horrified look, and the other man laughed loudly. Lissa glared at the two of them as the man joined in, before looking in astonishment at one of the trees. "Whoa, look!"

The three men looked up to see a robin on a perch, staring at the four of them.

Fredrick smiled warmly at the young girl's reaction. "It's the springtime milady. I expect this won't be the last robin we see."

At once, the bird flew from its perch, flying past Frederick and landing on the man's arm, who shouted in surprise and stumbled back. The robin caught itself, giving what seemed to be a haughty look before flying to the nearest tree. It continue to leer at him in a manner not unlike Frederick.

The man shook his head, getting over his surprise. He looked up at three and found them all laughing at his actions.

"W-well I think we know what to call you now," laughed Lissa.

"Call me what? Bird shit?" Robin asked, joining in on the laughter.

"No, silly! Robin!" Lissa said. The man suddenly stopped for a moment, and Chrom and Lissa spun around.

"Is something wrong?" Asked Chrom.

"That name is PERFECT!" Said the man with a wicked grin.

Chrom smiled. "Then Robin it is then."

Lissa pouted. "Fine, but I'm still calling him Bubbles."

Frederick had been scouting ahead again, suddenly paling. Chrom noticed and ran to the bigger man's side.

"What is it?" He asked, before his eyes widened. A fire was enveloping one of the buildings in the village, half a mile away.

Robin ran to catch up. "That's no accident!"

"No," Frederick. "Brigands. Once again attacking defenseless village."

"We need to hurry! Shepherds, to arms!" Chrom shouted, unsheathing a sword that seemed strikingly familiar to Robin. Frederick's lance was at the ready, and he tossed a staff to Lissa, who's happy demeanor was replaced by one of determination.

"Hey what about m-"Robin started, but the three of them were already gone.

"Me. Ugh, great. Now what?" Robin muttered to himself. Could he fight?

For the first time since awakening, Robin got a good look at himself. He was wearing a heavy hooded coat, and from what he could tell his hair was pure white. He reached into the pocket of his coat, his expression altering when he pulled out a bronze sword.

Snatching it in his hand, he ran after the thee shepherds, who had gotten a healthy head start on him.

000

When Robin arrived at the village, he wasn't expecting…. such violence. Townspeople screamed and ran as bandits set fire to buildings, shouting out war cries all the way.

Robin found Chrom fairly easily behind some overturned vendors and food wagon. He was facing a bandit with an axe a with his sword, swinging it with what seemed like a lifetime of training. Lissa ducked behind another wagons, her staff held close to her as she watched her brother.

A third lunge at Chrom from behind, but Robin moved quickly, knocking aside the blade with his bronze sword.

Unfortunately, he had both overestimated his skill with a sword and underestimated the bandit's skill with an axe, and he was forced back, barely deflecting the vicious blows.

Chrom on the other hand had a feral grin as he struck hard, savagely throwing the axe to the side and slashing the sword down the bandit's chest, who fell with a gasp.

At the same time, Robin's bronze sword was hit out of his grip, spinning and clattering on the ground. Robin flinched as the other bandit moved in for the kill.

But then the man froze, looking down at the tip of the blade that was protruding out of his chest.

Chrom kicked the bandit to the side, and with a grumble of pain he stumbled into one of the food trucks and collapsed, dead.

Chrom smiled at Robin, once more helping him to his feet. "Thanks for the help, though I can't exactly praise your swordplay."

"Oh give me a break, I'm an amnesic," Robin said drolly. "And besides, it's the only weapon I-whoa."

Chrom's eyebrows rose as Robin produced a spell book from the pockets of his coat.

"Are you a mage?" He asked, somewhat warily.

Robin flipped through the book. "I…. I think so. I suppose I should check…."

Chrom gulped. "I'll be taking a few steps back if you don't mind."

Suddenly, Lissa's shrieks pierced the air. A third Bandit, this time armed with a sword, struck down where the girl had been merely moments before as she darted to the side.

"Lissa!" Chrom cried, sprinting towards his sister's attacker, but Robin beat him to it, instinctively stretching a hand and releasing power from his fingertips. A small blast of lightning flew past Chrom's shoulder and struck the bandit squarely in the chest, throwing him back. He didn't get back up.

"Whoa! Robin!" Lissa's eyes widened as if she had just seen him for the first time. "Swords AND magic?"

"Yep," said Robin, snapping the spell book shut. "Definitely a mage. Where's Frederick?"

Right on cue, Frederick arrived on horseback, tossing the corpse of a bandit to the side. "What is HE doing here?"

Robin shrugged. "To be honest….I don't know myself. But I know my way around a fight and I want to help."

Lissa quietly raised her staff, healing Chrom of a gash on his shoulder.

Frederick looked like he wanted to say something, but Chrom gave him a look, silencing him. "Thank you Robin, that means a great deal to us. Frederick, did you take care of the bandits?"

"Six of them, milord. The other four is trying to make a stand at the outskirts."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you kill those ones?"

Frederick managed a small smile. "What fun would that be?"

000

Chrom ducked behind a wall, clutching his sword. He made to move, but Robin caught his arm.

"Archers," he mouthed. Chrom nodded in understanding.

"What do we do then?"

Robin thought for a moment. "You and Frederick lead the charge. From this position, the archers would have to reveal themselves if they wanted even a remote chance at hitting the two of you. As soon as that happens, I'll bring them down from behind cover."

Chrom nodded, impressed. "Wow. You certainly have an eye for tactics, don't you?"

Robin shrugged. "I must have studied this before I lost my memory. Everyone ready?"

Frederick curtly nodded, and Chrom rose his sword. Lissa winked at him from behind cover.

"Go!" Shouted Robin, ducking under cover. Frederick and Chrom leapt out, charging for the shocked bandits.

The two broke through the lines easily, and while Chrom was easily thrashing the criminals, Robin was marveled by Frederick's incredible technique and power, felling multiple bandits with a single stroke.

But more importantly, an archer suddenly was in the corner of his eye, knocking an arrow. The poor man did not even see the thunder spell hit him in the face and throwing him off the roof he had chosen.

Before Robin could celebrate his victory, an arrow impaled itself into his shoulder. Robin gasped as he remembered as pain felt, but through the tears in his eyes he fired another thunder spell at the archer who had shot him before the man could aim another arrow.

Chrom slashed through the last bandit, and Lissa immediately went to work to heal Robin's shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" Asked Chrom, running over. That line sounded so familiar….

"I'm fine. Merely a…AH! Flesh wound," Robin said through grit teeth as Lissa ripped out the arrow.

Chrom patted Robin on his uninjured shoulder. "On the bright side, you've gotten your first battle scar!"

Frederick, who was speaking with one of the village elders, galloped over. "Did you notice milord? Those hitmen spoke with a Plegian accent."

"Question. What is Plegia?" Robin asked to Frederick, but it was Chrom who answered.

"Ylisse's westernly neighbor. We're on the verge of war, and they like to 'unofficially' send out raiding parties to instigate us."

Lissa sniffed. "And it's the poor farmers that have to pay for it. It's not fair!"

"Milady, that's why we're here. shepherds, to protect the sheep."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Robin said, clasping a hand to his head. "I get it now."

Lissa giggled. "Thanks Frederick. I needed that."

Chrom sighed. "Well we'd best get going. I'm growing worried about Ylisstol's condition."

"What!? B-but it's almost nighttime!" Lissa cried in despair.

"We'll just set up camp," said Frederick. "You were the one who so adamantly wanted to join us, remember?"

Lissa snorted. "Frederick? Sometimes I hate you!"

As the four laughed, Chrom looked to Robin. "You're free to go if you wish, but we could always use someone like you in our ranks. We'd be happy to have you."

Robin didn't even hesitate. "It would be an honor, Chrom."

As the four set off, a single robin watched from its perch, watching them with a strange look. Finally it took off, following the four as they made their way to a dense forest….

000

Hope it was a good start. This was a pretty new experience for me.

Once again, don't expect updates very often. At this point it comes second (or third?) to my other projects.

Make sure to review!


	2. Chapter 2

0000

"Bear meat?" Lissa said, wrinkling her nose. "That's the best you could find?"

Chrom looked affronted. "What are you going on about? Bear is delicious!"

Frederick chuckled softly. "This is a good chance for you to build character, milady."

"Oh yeah? Then why aren't YOU digging in?" Asked Lissa suspiciously.

Frederick went pale. "I-that is….I had a….big lunch?"

"Yeah, right!" Lissa said with a snort*.

"I don't see Robin complaining!" Said Chrom, pointing to the tactician, who was wolfing down his meat like an animal.

"Well who knows where HE'S been!" Lissa countered. This seemed to remind Frederick that he was supposed to keep an eye on the stranger, and gave him a reproachful look.

Eventually, Frederick had forced Lissa to eat her bear meat, though he had not touched his own. Robin and Chrom hadn't thought much of it, and instead simply shared his meal between them. By now it was late, and the four of them were satisfied. Lissa was passed out and snoring loudly.

"Milord, I'll keep watch," said Frederick, his reproachful look still not leaving Robin.

"Frederick, you've kept watch the last three nights. As your superior, I'm ordering you to relax a little," Chrom said, not without mirth.

Frederick looked like he wanted to argue, but finally let out a tired laugh. "Well I can't disobey a direct order."

He fell asleep almost immediately after, leading Chrom to wonder exactly how much sleep he had gotten recently.

Only Robin was still awake, reading his spell book with the fascination of a curious child. Chrom laughed a little at his expression.

Robin looked up suddenly. "Oh…. sorry Chrom. I just...apparently I was quite the mage."

Chrom smiled easily. "I wouldn't need a book to tell me there. You definitely knew what you were doing." His expression slowly became somewhat strained.

"Listen Robin, I don't want to sound like I'm forcing you to join us. I know you must be going through a lot and-"

"Don't worry about it," said Robin dismissively. "I have no memory, and therefore no ties. You three took me in, and I'd be happy to join. If my memories come back and I remember something, well…I'll cross that road when I get there. Until then you're stuck with me."

The two shared a laugh, and it wasn't long before Robin was asleep as well. Chrom, now bored, reached for his sword. At the very least he could train.

His broadsword, Falchion, was Chrom's most prized possession. The blade had a rich history, beginning with Chrom's ancestor. The weapon had the power to slay dragons, and was said to have been forged from the fang of Naga herself.

Chrom held it in his hand, and swung it around with the skill of a man who had trained his entire life. But it wasn't long before he felt something…. watching him?

Chrom stopped training, but didn't lower Falchion. Something didn't feel right. Making up his mind, he decided to take a walk to ease his nerves.

"Chrom?"

He froze, turning around. Lissa was letting out a yawn as she rose to her feet. "Where are you going?"

Chrom sighed. "You should go back to sleep Lissa; I'm just going for a walk."

"Not without me you aren't," said Lissa stubbornly, falling into line next to him.

Chrom rolled his eyes, but secretly he was somewhat relieved. "As long as you can keep up."

The two strolled through the forest, and while Chrom was apprehensive, Lissa seemed blissfully unaware of the odd mood of the night. Slowly, her attitude calmed Chrom down…

Until the earthquake struck.

Lissa let out a squeaking shriek as the ground rocked; it felt like the whole forest was collapsing!

Chrom shoved Lissa, forcing her to take a stumbling run. After a moment he followed her as the land forced itself apart, flames roaring as they rose high in the air.

Chrom's greater speed caught up to Lissa quickly and pulled her into a random direction, sprinting with the only purpose of escaping the flames licking at their feet.

Finally, Lissa's legs gave out from under her and she was forced to catch her breath. Chrom, making sure to check if they weren't in immediate danger, relaxed as well. Slowly Lissa looked up, and her expression became shocked once again.

"Chrom, what _is_ that?" She asked in a whisper.

Chrom looked up as well, and he shook his head in complete incomprehension. He didn't understand what he was looking at.

But he DID see the two figures expelled out of it, and raised Falchion without hesitation. They seemed to resemble humans, but very loosely. They had gray, dead, rotting skin, and they wore masks that did not cover their bright red glowing eyes. They hefted battle axes, and they let loose blood curling screams that sent shivers down Chrom's spine.

Lissa slowly backed up. "Are they…. DEAD?"

The creatures seemed offended by the girl's words, and wheeled on her. Chrom stepped between them.

"Back off!" He roared, challenging them to come forth. The first accepted, swinging it's axe at Chrom, who blocked it with ease. As the two fought, Chrom noted the creature's superhuman strength and speed. But on Chrom's side was a better weapon, a greater drive, and more importantly; training against axes.

Chrom sidestepped the creature's swing easily, plunging Falchion into its chest. The strike would have killed normally, but the creature only seemed angered, raising its axe high above its head. Chrom managed to think on his feet, ripping out Falchion and narrowly blocking its strike. The creature gained momentum, pressing Chrom hard and forcing him back a few steps.

But once again, Chrom's training prevailed, and he spun, knocking the creature's axe out of its hand. Before it could react, Chrom was already slashing through its neck, beheading it in one fluid motion.

Instead of collapsing, the creature melted into dust. Chrom didn't have time to reflect on that, because he heard Lissa scream.

Chrom looked to his sister, and he cursed his own foolishness. The other creature had Lissa pressed against a boulder, ready to strike. She held up her staff to defend herself, but she wouldn't be able to survive a blow.

Chrom rushed forwards, already knowing in his heart that he wouldn't make it in time. He was considering simply throwing Falchion at it, when suddenly a new man seemingly appeared out of nowhere, catching the axe on his blade just as the creature swung it down.

Lissa had squeezed her eyes hard when the axe had fallen, but slowly opened them again when no pain came. She found herself faced to face with a masked man, shuddering from the effort of blocking the axe that was less than an inch away from his head.

"Help!" the man called in an ambiguously masculine tone. It was pointless, as a split second later Chrom had stabbed the creature through the abdomen, forcing it to straighten up with a wail of pain, raising its axe in reflex. The wounded monster tried to turn, but the masked man was already slashing down with his sword, bringing it down. 

As the creature dissolved into dust, Chrom gave the masked man a look. "Quite an entrance. What's your name?"

The masked man answered, but not his question. "There are more of them. Your friends will be here shortly, but you'd better make a stand. I'll clear off the rear."

With that he was gone, his cape billowing from behind him.

Chrom and Lissa exchanged a strange look, but it was interrupted by Frederick's horse whinnying.

"Milord, are you alright?" Frederick asked, his face pale as he burst out from the bushes. Rob was sitting behind him, his sword in hand.

"We're fine Frederick, but we have company," said Chrom, pointing ahead. More of the creatures were rising, letting out screams.

"What the devil are they?" Asked Frederick, leveling his lance. Chrom shrugged.

"I don't know…they just…. appeared. How did you find us anyway?"

"Simple," said Frederick dryly. "I felt the earthquake, found the two of you gone, and put two and two together."

"That didn't stop you from giving me a black eye," said Robin, rubbing his face.

"Oh be quiet, I apologized," Said Frederick flatly.

"No you didn't," Robin hissed.

Despite the situation, Chrom laughed. "We can discuss what happen once we've routed these monsters. Have any ideas, tactician?"

Robin thought for a moment. "They don't have us surrounded, so we can take the offensive. Frederick, I want your Lance in the front. Chrom, back him up, while Lissa and I support you from the rear."

Still, Robin cringed as he realized the many flaws of his plan. A frontal assault against more then a dozen of these creatures would be ideal if there were more of them, but Frederick and Chrom could quickly be overwhelmed. And if they got through, Robin would have to fight them and defend Lissa at the same time…

As if on cue, there came a whinnying of a horse, and before long a woman on horseback rode into the clearing. At first, with Robin had thought that the rider was a man, with their bulging muscles and short cropped hair. It wasn't until he saw their softer features that he realized the truth.

Then the woman's face turned into a feral snarl that was far scarier than any of the monsters shambling towards them

"Captain Chrom! Sorry I'm late, but I was ambushed by these…." She noticed the creatures stalking them. "There are more of them!?"

"Thanks for the support Sully," said Chrom with a grateful grin. "We could definitely use your help."

"Just tell me where my lance is aimed, and I'll handle the rest," Said Sully with a cocky smirk.

"Alas! Is the situation truly so dreadful that a beautiful lady must fight on the front lines? Truly horrible times, these!"

Yet another had found them, clearly following Sully's path. Though their paths were the same, they couldn't look any more different. He had long silver hair that fell to his shoulders, and judging by his attire he was clearly a noble of some sort. A bow was in his hand, a quiver full of arrows strapped to his back.

"Who the hell are you?" Asked Sully, leveling her lance. Frederick did the same.

"Put down your weapon, for I am no enemy! I am lord Virion, the archest of archers! Forgive me, but after seeing your elegant form and womanly beauty I could not resist?"

"Excuse me?" Asked Sully, utterly baffled by his behavior, as if she had never been spoken in such a manner.

"I must ask for your name, my sweet. I must!"

"Mind telling us who YOU are first?" Asked Lissa, apparently getting over her surprise. "Where did you come from?"

Virion didn't seem to hear her, continuing to compliment Sully until she had clearly had enough.

"Oh I get it," she said in mock realization. "This is one big joke. And when I kick you in the head, that'll be the punchline!"

Virion raised an eyebrow. "I will not doubt your capability, but I cannot believe such a pure, beautiful woman would ever- "

SMACK!

Virion clutched his head. "Ah! Ow! M-my my, your shapely legs sure can kick!"

Frederick let out a tired sigh. "We do not have time for your games. If you are capable then be silent and take aim. If not kindly get out of our way."

Virion shook his head, taking the knight's harsh tone in stride as he spoke in his annoyingly sophisticated accent. "Ah but my dear sir capable is my middle name! Virion the capable, the archest of-"

"Aw can it ruffles!" Said Sully, shoving the enigmatic noble aside. Apparently she had forgotten her anger at Virion entirely, filled with the excitement of killing the monsters.

"Er…Virion is it?" Robin said, turning to him. "You're going to be taking the rear with Lissa and I. Sully, I want you in front with Frederick."

"Just the way I like it," said Sully with a cocky grin.

The two horsemen snapped their reins and shot forwards towards the mass of the creatures. Chrom drew Falchion and ran behind them, running through the first of the creatures with ease.

Robin whipped out his spell book and began chanting, as Virion knocked an arrow. Lissa had to take note of the archer's skill; his first arrow passed through one of the monster's throat and embedded into the eye of the one behind it, felling the two of them at once. Lissa looked restless, as if she wanted to do something but couldn't think of anything, ultimately deciding on cheering the others on.

As Robin cast thunder spells that turned the creatures into cinders, he took note of the other's fighting styles for the first time. Frederick moved with an excellent combination of speed, power, and skill, washing over the enemy like a wave. Every attack was deliberate, and he seemed to be fully aware of even the monsters behind him. When one attacked from behind, he simply smacked it in the face with the butt of his lance.

Sully fought ferociously, relying solely on brute strength. Her raw power forced almost a quarter of the monsters back, letting out horrible battle cries and swearing whenever she was nicked.

Chrom was a combination of the two. He was as offensive and direct with Sully, but used the skill of his weapon rather than brute force. Each enemy he engaged had only managed to trade blows for a moment before being hit with a fatal blow.

Virion's arrows were careful and deliberate, each hitting its mark in a matter that would kill an enemy instantly. Though he fired quickly, each shot was carefully planned. No arrow went to waste.

"Robin!" Cried Lissa, trying to get his attention. Robin cursed as he shook his head to free himself of his thoughts. Several of the monsters had made it past Chrom and were shambling towards them; one of them raising his axe to decapitate Robin.

But what it wasn't expecting was Robin's sword, which embedded into its stomach before it could swing the axe. Robin ripped the weapon free of the dying creature as Virion took care of the second of the monsters by shooting it in the chest.

The third however, lunged for Robin, who barely managed to parry at the last moment. For the second time in his memory he was forced back by superior swordplay, able to hold his own but losing ground fast.

Virion aimed an arrow, but the zombie had cleverly positioned itself so that the archer could accidentally hit Robin. The noble bit his lip as he struggled to aim….

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Called Robin, dodging a sweeping slash. "Help the others and guard Lissa!"

Virion nodded reluctantly, turning to the considerably weakened monsters up in the front. As Robin blocked another attack, he searched his mind desperately for a way to break through his opponent's defenses.

Finally, he noticed something. The way his opponent moved….he couldn't rely on swordplay for this, but his opponent's style. As he fought back, he noticed more and more glaring flaws in the creature's form. Soon he was landing blow after blow against the creature's gray skin until it roared, stabbing at the tactician.

Instead of blocking, Robin reached out and grabbed the monster's hand, the sword an inch away from his face. Robin's sword slashed through its neck, decapitating head from body.

Robin wiped off the sweat from his brow as Lissa grinned at him. Chrom knocked the last of the monsters off its feet and stabbed it through the abdomen before it could rise.

"That's all of the rotten bastards!" Said Sully triumphantly, raising her lance up in the air.

Frederick peered down to Chrom. "Milord, I will ride on ahead to confirm that there are no stragglers."

Chrom simply nodded, and Frederick was riding on horseback at full speed.

Robin was out of breath when he walked over to Chrom, noting mentally that he had low physical endurance. "He's…. pretty dedicated isn't he?"

Chrom chuckled. "And very effective. Frederick the wary can just be a little…. wearing sometimes."

Lissa stormed past them. "Can you get him off me? Usually I like it when a boy compliments me, but Virion just makes them sound offensive!"

Virion called after her. "My dear lady, clearly you have not been complimented enough!"

He was interrupted, however by a cold voice. "Is this side clear?"

Nearly everyone jumped, but not Chrom, who simply turned. The Masked Man was back.

"Yes, and my second in command is checking for any that might have escaped," said Chrom slowly.

"Good," the masked man said simply. He turned to walk away.

"Might I ask your name?" Chrom called after him. "At least so I can know who to thank?"

The man froze, as if he was making an internal decision. He looked down, nodding to himself.

"You may call me Marth."

000

And that's a wrap!

Sorry for the long wait, but as I said, this run comes after my other two. It will get it's time to shine, just be patient.

Any feedback is appreciated! And any guesses or requests for marriages (as well as explanations why) are encouraged!

Read, Relax, and Review!

*According to the roster, Lissa is the most likely to snort. Let's get a counter going! Whoever at the end of the story gives the correct number of Lissa's snorts wins!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, it's been a little while but here's the next chapter! This one is actually edited by my good friend Premasaur, to make things smoother! Enjoy!

000

Robin considered himself to be somewhat introverted, though he wasn't sure if that had been the case prior to his amnesia. While his comrades, (with the possible exception of Frederick) were social animals and had been joking together the entire trip to Ylisstol, Robin had stayed back a little and simply watched them, occasionally joining on the laughter.

Sully was crude, crass, and blunt-a fact that Robin hadn't taken long to realize. Apparently she was old friends with Chrom, and it showed in the way they talked and acted around each other. She was a bit reckless, but she also had an easy disposition and quickly accepted Robin in their little group, though Robin could have sworn seeing her horse giving him the evil eye.

Virion surprisingly got along well with Robin in the first few hours of their trek, helping Robin rediscover an apparent love of chess. The noble promised Robin that once they arrived at their destination the two would have a game. He had proceeded to continue flirting with Sully and Lissa, the latter looking uncomfortable and the former looking like she wanted to kick him in the face again.

If Sully's horse had been glaring at Robin, he was outright sneering at Virion.

Robin had seen very little of Frederick during the journey. The steely man had scouted ahead, occasionally reporting back to check Chrom and Lissa's condition. The man was certainly dedicated, Robin had to give him that.

By the time they arrived at Ylisse, Robin's legs were literal pudding, and Lissa had collapsed with a dull groan. Robin was too tired to notice how quickly the guards let the Shepherds into the city…

"You look a little out of shape there," Chrom laughed, patting Robin on the shoulder. "You sure you don't want a quick rest?"

"It's this bloody coat," Robin gasped. "I swear that it's been weighing on me this entire trip."

"Then take it off!" Lissa moaned. "Gods, at least you have an excuse!"

Robin rubbed some sand off the robes, wondering vaguely where it was from. "I'd rather not. Besides my weapons, it's the only possession I still have from my old life."

"I can relate to that quite a bit," Virion said in a low voice, twiddling with an arrow in his hand. "It is the proof of your past life, distinguishing memories from imagination."

"Yeah, except I have no memories to confuse," Robin argued. "Except well…Chrom's name."

"And that is something we still need to discuss-"Frederick interrupted, causing Robin to jump up a little. But Chrom raised a hand.

"Peace Frederick," He said with a small smile. "At least let him have a look around first."

Frederick relented, though not without rolling his eyes. Chrom's statement had caused Robin to involuntarily glance at his surroundings.

Ylisstol was what Robin assumed to be a typical city. The streets were crowded with vendors and civilians going about their jobs, and Robin couldn't help but grin at the harmony and the aura of peace that the city gave off. He nudged Chrom, pointing at the extravagant towers of the palace, likely at the city center.

"So who is the ruler?" Robin asked. Chrom grinned when he saw where his new friend was pointing.

"That would be Exalt Emmeryn, the kindest woman in all of Ylisse," he said with a proud note in his tone. "She was the one who ended our last war against Plegia. People come from all around the world to hear her speak."

"She's also the best big sister you could ever ask for!" Lissa chimed in.

"Yes, I imagine she would be- "Robin started, before doing a double take. "Huh? Sister?"

Chrom and Lissa both glanced at each other before breaking into loud laughter, doubling over as they tried to collect themselves. "D-did we not mention we're Ylissean royalty?" Lissa asked through gasps.

Robin went very pale in realization, causing Chrom and Lissa to laugh even louder. Behind them, Sully had a smug smirk, but Virion seemed as shocked as Robin, frantically readjusting his ruffles in the presence of royalty.

Frederick merely shook his head in disbelief, apparently still confident that Robin was lying to make his story more believable. Robin himself was trying not to stutter as he spoke to Chrom in a quivering voice.

"Er, please don't execute my ignorant soul y-your highnesses. I apologize for my rudeness," Robin babbled, but Chrom simply put another hand on his shoulder as Lissa tried and failed to stop laughing.

"Just Chrom and Lissa is fine. And don't worry, we've always been more for plain speech anyway."

Robin took a deep sigh of relief. "You could have told me earlier, though!"

Sully snickered. "Well, while you three are chattin' up with the queen, the rest of us should head back to the barracks. C'mon you two! I'll show ya around!"

Virion shot up at the opportunity. "My, my! I cannot deny the requests of such an eager woman!"

Robin shook his head, ready to follow them, but Chrom's grip on his shoulder became tighter. "Hold it friend. If it's all right, we'd like you to come with us to introduce you to Emm."

Robin blinked, a little overwhelmed. "Uh…. sure. It would be an honor."

The four of them walked up to the heavy doors of the castle, a quick word from Chrom allowing them access. Any form of relaxation that Frederick had shown on his face before was gone, once again becoming as cold and smooth as marble.

The Great Hall was extravagant as one might expect, many drawings of the Divine Dragon Naga on the murals and walls. Before Robin could get a good look, a group of women in light riding armor were walking towards him.

The only one was not wearing armor was the woman in between them in elegant robes. She had beautiful features, but Robin could tell she was younger than she actually looked. Years of hardship had worn her down, but she had gentle, kind features that made Robin feel warm and fuzzy. On her forehead was the same mark Chrom had on his shoulder, the one that Robin assumed was a tattoo.

"Em!" Lissa cried, launching herself between the guards and into the woman's arms. The women looked a little uncomfortable about the display of over familiarity, but Emmeryn smiled, stroking her younger sister's hair.

"I'm glad to see you well," Emmeryn said in a quiet voice, laughing a little in relief. Chrom nodded to one of the knights (likely the leader judging by the markings on her armor), walking over and giving Emmeryn a quick hug as well. "We had to stay in the wilderness for a night, but we're fine. Nobody was hurt, though my cooking got some flack."

"Did you make her eat bear meat again?" Emmeryn asked Chrom accusingly, though it was not without a hint of humor.

Chrom's grin was a little sheepish. "I just wish that was the worst thing we encountered. Did you hear about the attack?"

Emmeryn sighed. "Yes, similar attacks have been popping up all around Ylisse. My Pegasus Knights were able to handle most of the problem."

The leader of the forces bowed. She had somewhat haughty features and short white hair. She looked to be a little older then Emmeryn, perhaps in her mid-thirties. "Please forgive me for not coming to your assistance. My knights should have intercepted them."

"Peace Phila, you did what you could to protect the queen," Chrom said, his voice firm. "Besides we were able to fight them fight them off, thanks to the warnings of a stranger."

"Stranger?" Phila asked in surprise, but Chrom shook his head. "I'll discuss it during the meeting. Before we break, I wanted to introduce you to someone."

Robin shot up in alarm, and could feel himself going red. He felt instantly out of place facing Queen Emmeryn's curious smile. What was a lowly amnesiac doing in the presence of royalty?

"This is Robin, a man we met on our journey. He's proven himself a capable strategist, and I'd like to make him the official tactician of the Shepherds," Chrom announced.

"Milady," Robin said, bowing low to the ground, before the realization hit. Did Chrom really just?

"Then I humbly thank you for your services Robin," Emmeryn said with a genuine smile. Robin shot a glare at Chrom, who shrugged. He couldn't refuse now!

Frederick cleared his throat suddenly, causing Robin to jump a little. He had nearly forgotten the stalwart man. "Milady, I'm afraid I have no choice but to request that on this matter we proceed with caution. Robin claims to have amnesia, but it is only that: a claim. We cannot deny the possibility of him being a Plegian spy sent to assassinate you. He wears the coat of a Plegian Dark Mage, first off."

"Frederick…." Chrom muttered with an exasperated sigh, but his second in command ignored him. Emmeryn on the other hand, gave Robin a thorough look of understanding. He smiled nervously back.

Emmeryn's smile finally returned. "He seems genuine to me. And Chrom? Do you trust him?"

Chrom nodded once. "He has risked his life for us Em. We can't punish him for that."

"Then all is well," Emmeryn said. "And Frederick thank you for remaining as logical as ever. I do hope Chrom and Lissa express their gratitude for your help."

Frederick smiled a little. "Occasionally they do say something akin to gratitude, milady. And I proudly do my humble duty."

"Well if that's everything, we'd better start the meeting," Phila said in a business like tone. "There is quite a bit we need to discuss."

Lissa nudged Robin hard. "That's our cue! C'mon, I'll show you the barracks!"

000

Compared to the extravagant halls of Emmeryn's palace, the Shepherd Barracks were both unassuming and humble, and that fact managed to put Robin at ease as Lissa practically dragged him into the training grounds.

Sully was sparring against a girl in pink riding armor, though the match didn't seem much of a contest. Every time the two practices lances met, Sully knocked the poor girl down into the ground. Robin had to admire the girl's tenacity though; no matter how many times she was bested, she continued to rise to Sully's challenges.

Virion and a woman in pink frills were sitting at a round table, drinking what Robin assumed to be tea. When the woman noticed Robin and Lissa's arrival, she practically shoved Robin away as she clutched Lissa's shoulders.

"My treasure, you had me on pins and needles!" The woman reprimanded in a somewhat haughty tone of voice. "I must have sported fifty gray hairs in my anxiousness."

Robin groaned from where he was lying on the ground, wondering how in the hell the woman was capable of such strength. A grinning face was suddenly over him, hauling Robin to his feet.

"You alright there, pal?" The man asked with a wide grin. He was quite possibly had the best build Robin had ever seen. He had spiky blond hair and had no shirt on his back, though Robin could understand why.

"Maribelle, I'm fine!" Lissa said, in almost an exasperated tone. "You know I'm tougher than I look. I could do without the bear meat though."

As Maribelle's face scrunched up at the thought, the shirtless man put a hand on Robin's shoulder. "So you must be the guy Sully was talkin' about?"

"Hell yeah!" Sully said as she and the other girl walked over to greet them. "His swordplay wasn't stellar, but he definitely has a brain!"

"I'm never going to live that sword thing down, am I?" Robin deadpanned, and most of the Shepherds laughed.

"Don't worry, Ol' Teach sucks with swords too," the shirtless man said, clapping him on the back.

"Teach? Is that what you're calling yourself now?" Lissa asked with a giggle. "Here I thought you had to be born without brains, but it can be taught?"

"Ha ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" The man boasted, before blinking. "Wait was that an insu-"

"So everybody, this is Robin!" Lissa said, gesturing over to him. "The oaf over there is Vaike, that's Sumia behind Sully over there, and this is Maribelle, the duke of Themis' daughter!"

"Hey, who are you callin-" Vaike started before letting out a huge, involuntary belch. He grinned. "Whoops! Well better out then in!"

Robin snorted in laughter. "Nice one. You're going to have to 'teach' me how to do that someday."

The woman who was apparently named Maribelle scoffed. "Vaike, you baseborn oaf! That was abhorrent!"

Vaike flinched at the noble's acid tongue, and once again Robin had to force himself to stop from snickering. But then Maribelle wheeled on him. "And YOU! Encouraging him? Hmph, I'd have hoped you were cut from finer cloth. Though judging the state of your robes, that was a tad too optimistic!"

With that she strode off, leaving Robin looking like he'd just been slapped. "W-what did I do?"

"Don't mind her, she simply warms to people slowly," Virion called over from where he was sitting.

Robin blinked. "How would you know? You've barely known known her longer then I have!"

"Well, birds of a feather," Vaike said, and Sully suddenly grinned.

"You two should 'a seen when Ruffles tried to come onto her."

Virion immediately put a hand to his face, rubbing a red mark. "There are far too many powerful women in my life."

"Er, it's nice to meet you, Robin!" The girl in pink armor said. "As Lissa said, my name is Sumia."

Robin shook her hand. "Nice to meet you Sumia." The girl's features were soft and easy on the eyes, and he could tell very quickly she would be an easy person to talk to. Maribelle on the other hand…

Virion coughed. "My dear friend Robin, I believe you promised me a game of chess?"

"Oh, right of course!" Robin said in surprise. "You're on!"

A few minutes later, he was being thoroughly destroyed by the flamboyant noble, who boasted every time he took a piece. Robin could feel himself growing more and more frustrated, especially when the other Shepherds began watching for themselves.

"Ain't he supposed to be our Tactician?" Vaike guffawed as Robin's queen was taken by Virion, whose boasting was beginning to make Robin want to light him on fire.

He sighed, putting a hand on one of his bishops…..

"Er sorry to interrupt, but if you move the Bishop there it'll be checkmate."

Robin jumped at the sound of the soft voice, nearly knocking over the table. Behind him was a tall man in huge, hulking armor. Robin thought that the others would laugh, but they looked just as shocked as he was.

"Oh, right. I'm Kellam," the man said in resignation. "I tend to be a bit hard to notice."

"No kidding!" Robin gasped. "Nice to meet you!"

Even despite the knight's warning, Robin found himself backed to a corner in five minutes. A minute later, he was in checkmate.

"I'd have thought someone with such a tactical mind would have put up a better fight," Virion drawled, looking a little disappointed.

Robin groaned, resigned to his defeat. "I know, I know. I'm worthless. I should just hang up my coat, and-"

"You aren't getting out of your job that easily," Chrom said with a tired laugh as he walked into the Barracks. Sumia immediately shot to her feet, rushing over. She tripped, falling flat on her face as Chrom cringed.

"Sumia are you alright?" He asked in stunned surprise. Sumia groaned, rising to her feet and wiping herself off, but Chrom grabbed her shoulders and looked into her face to see if she was hurt. "Was it those boots again?"

"I-no! I mean yes, but….maybe?" Sumia said lamely, blushing furiously at the closeness. Robin rolled his eyes, recognizing the romantic tension immediately. And was that…..by the gods was that JEALOUSY flaring through him?

"Chrom never holds me like that," Robin said with pout, though he made sure to exaggerate it to show he was joking. Lissa, Vaike, and even Virion burst out into laughter, causing Chrom and Sumia to look over to them.

Chrom cleared his throat. "Shepards! We have a mission tomorrow. Tomorrow we're heading to Regna Ferox to request an alliance and additional soldiers to deal with our new threat. We've always been on good terms with them, so it shouldn't be too hard to convince them to help."

"Pssh, we need to ask for help to deal with a few overcooked potatoes?" Vaike scoffed. "You guys handled them fine."

Maribelle clucked her tongue, causing Robin grit his teeth in annoyance. He was REALLY not liking her.

"Perhaps if your brain wasn't the size of a goldfish you'd remember the enemy that threatened us BEFORE the monsters appeared in the forest?"

Vaike went quite immediately. "Oh, right. Plegia."

"Exactly," Chrom said in agreement. "The appearance of the monsters cropping up around the halidom just drove us to the decision quicker. Now, this position is strictly voluntary, so I don't want anyone to-"

"I volunteer!" Lissa said immediately, with both Virion and Kellam immediately announcing their assent as well. Both Sully and Vaike scoffed at the thought of being left behind again, though both Maribelle and Sumia looked conflicted.

"What about you, Robin?" Chrom asked. "I'm sure you still need to wrap your head around your new job, and you must be exhausted."

Robin shook his head. "I better redeem myself after that horrible loss in that chess game. Though still, you could have warned me before practically forcing me to accept by asking the Exalt."

Chrom grinned sheepishly. "We can talk about that in a minute. What about you two girls?" he asked Maribelle and Sumia politely.

"Well, I'd like to…" Sumia said awkwardly. "But I don't think I'm good enough yet. I don't want to be dead weight either."

"Well if that's how you feel, you can hang back and watch us," Chrom said, though he looked a bit miffed at her self-deprecation. "But the best way to learn is by doing."

Sumia's eyes shone. "Oh th-thank you captain! I'll do just that!"

Lissa looked at Maribelle hopefully. "What about you?"

Maribelle looked extremely guilty. "How I wish I could go, Lissa dear. But I'm afraid my father needs me at Themis. The attacks from those wretches were particularly harsh there."

Lissa looked a little upset by this, but Chrom nodded. "Nobody will fault you for that. Everyone, we march first thing tomorrow, so you might want to prepare and pack tonight. Robin, I'd like to speak to you for a moment."

Robin actually felt a hint of trepidation as he walked over to the somber looking prince. "Yes, uh sir?"

"I said just Chrom. Call me anything other than that and I'll have you beheaded," Chrom said with a chuckle.

Robin grinned. "You realize those two things completely conflict, right?"

The two laughed a little, before Chrom sighed. "Look Robin. I'm sorry for practically forcing the job on you, but I really need to know. Did you throw the chess game on purpose to get out of it?"

Robin cringed, not expecting that question in the slightest. "Uh no. I wish I could say otherwise, but I was well and truly beaten in that match."

Chrom blinked. "Oh. That is…. slightly concerning. B-but, er, a chess game and battlefield tactics are completely separate, right?"

"Yes," Robin said woodenly. "Completely separate."

There was an awkward silence. Chrom cleared his throat. "In any case, I'm not giving up on you that easily. And I have a gift that can serve as my apology."

Robin's eyes lit up. "Is that why you led me to the stables?"

Chrom nodded. "I thought you might want to pick out a mount."

Robin completely forgot about his troubles, grinning wildly. "Where do I start?"

A few minutes later he was having a fun time looking at the horses, arguing with Chrom over the right one to pick.

He stroked the forehead of the horse that he had decided on, a subdued, ebony horse named Astrid. She also shared Robin's similar love for apples, so he liked to the think the two had a lot in common.

"I just wish I could ride something that could fly," Robin said despite the look of longing he gave Astrid. "That would be fun."

"Don't we all?" Chrom asked with a light laugh. "Unfortunately the Pegasi prefer a woman's touch, and Wyvern don't live around Ylisse."

"Fair point," Robin said with a shrug. "I like her anyway, so it's fine."

Chrom sighed. "I'm sure Sumia will be upset that she missed this. She loves animals even more than you seem to."

"I'm sure we'll get along famously then," Robin said distractedly. "So uh Chrom?"

"Yes Robin?"

"How the hell do I take care of a horse?"

000

Robin spent most of the afternoon hanging out with the Shepherds, and he quickly grew to like Vaike and Sumia, who were both easy to get along with. He wished he could say the same about Kellam, but he kept losing track of him.

Despite making new friends, his ego took quite a few hits as well. When it was his turn to spar, he found himself losing to Chrom, Sully, and Vaike time and time again, and he quickly grew frustrated. He DID beat Sumia, but the longer he spent with her he realized her lack of skill with a blade was simply due to a lack of confidence in herself and just plain clumsiness.

Robin was able to finish packing far earlier then his comrades, quite simply having less possessions then the rest of them. All he had when he had met Chrom was his coat, spell book and bronze sword. Chrom had given him a standard pack of supplies and a very official looking steel sword that apparently was customary for the royal tactician, a fact that Robin still couldn't wrap his head around.

With a ton of time to spare, Robin had spent his hours leafing through his tome and practicing spells. He had quickly mastered a basic knowledge of wind and fire magic, though neither were close to his skill with thunder spells.

He completely ignored the dark magic at the back of his textbook feeling a chill go up his spine when he realized he could in fact cast it, but found himself unable to cast light magic at all. Many spells were too complex for him at the moment, but he felt like had one particular spell under his control.

He took a deep breath as he faced a target, holding out his hand in front of him, letting the electricity charge in his hand.

His eyes shot open. "Elthunder!"

A powerful blast of electricity shot out of his hands, much stronger than his usual basic thunder. The Elthunder exploded on impact, reducing the target to rubble.

Robin grinned at his display, but felt completely drained in terms of mana. As he wiped his forehead, he heard a quiet voice that caused him to turn.

"Impressive," Frederick said, standing tall and pristine in his blue armor. "I'd imagine you could give Miriel a run for her money."

"Who is Miriel?" Robin asked, arching a brow.

"One of the most powerful mages in Ylisse, and a fire prodigy," Fredrick said. "I believe she will accompany us to Regna Ferox, so you will have plenty of time to get to know her."

Robin nodded. It was a while before he spoke again. "So I take it you still don't trust me?"

"It is as my duty demands," Frederick said without missing a beat. "I have nothing against you personally, but if there is even a slight chance of betrayal I must be wary."

His expression softened. "However, you have done much in service of Ylisse, and I do hope that you aren't a liar and traitor. I find myself even growing fond of you."

"Awww," Robin said with a dopey grin, but Frederick cut him off.

"That being said, if you ARE a Plegian spy I will take great pleasure in gutting you like a fish," Frederick said lightly.

Robin gulped. "Understood."

"That being said I came here on account of your subpar swordplay," Frederick admitted gravely.

"Gods, can NO ONE let that go?" Robin lamented, but Frederick shook his head.

"You DO have rudimentary training and basic knowledge, so I simply seek to hone it," Frederick said, tossing a practice blade to Robin.

The tactician caught it in his hand, swinging it around experimentally. Frederick walked over to him, his own practice blade firm in his grip.

"Do not worry Robin, your lesson will end when you land a hit on me. If you can beat me quickly you will prove that I have nothing to teach you."

Robin straightened up a bit as he held his sword in a two handed grip. One hit? Shouldn't be too difficult.

"Come at me," Frederick said in challenge, and Robin lunged.

The moment their swords crossed, Robin knew he was outclassed. Frederick blocked Robin's first strike in the blink of an eye, immediately forcing him backward.

Somehow Robin was able to fend the Knight Commander off, parrying a thrust and leaping back. He could already feel himself breathing heavily, but Frederick simply looked bored.

Robin judged the man's frame as he walked towards him, trying to come up with tactics on the fly and search for weaknesses. Frederick didn't give him a long time to think, leaping towards him.

Thinking fast, Robin feinted and aimed a sweeping blow to the left, but Frederick was far smarter than the zombie he'd tricked. The taller man spun around, catching Robin's sword easily.

Robin's eyes bugged out as he felt Frederick overpower him, somehow hitting the ground and rolling behind the Knight when he lost ground. Robin landed on his feet, jabbing a sword into Frederick's back, but the Knight Commander's blade struck Robin's, sending it flying.

Robin tried to back away, but Frederick had a sword to his throat. "It seems I do indeed have much to teach you."

Robin sighed. "I don't have a choice in the matter, do I?"

"Not to worry Robin," Frederick said. "You have potential, and I am not invincible. You will land a hit sooner or later."

Three hours later, and Robin hadn't so much as nicked the Knight Commander.

He groaned from the dull blows to his shoulder and stomach, sure that several had left bruises. He had already taken off his coat, too hot and bothered to leave it on. Though he was dead on his feet, Frederick had still not broken a sweat.

The Knight Commander looked slightly concerned. "Er, we have been going for quite a while now, and you've improved exponentially. We could-"

"Oh no you don't," Robin growled. "Not until I land a clean hit."

Frederick chuckled. "You're more likely to pass out I must say, for a man of humble beginnings you surprisingly have a lot of pride."

Robin sighed. "Let's just say my ego took a pretty big hit today. Now come on! I'm not finished yet."

But unfortunately the attempts were fruitless. A half an hour later Robin had to admit that he wasn't getting anywhere, though he couldn't help but feel as though his tenacity had won a bit of Frederick's respect. He all but collapsed on the bed under Vaike, passing out the moment his head hit the pillow.

000

The next morning had not gotten off to a good start.

Robin had been rudely awakened by Lissa, who had plugged his nose while he was still sleeping. Though she had apologized, that didn't stop her from laughing hysterically, running off to tell Sumia and Maribelle of what happened. Both Chrom and Kellam gave him sympathetic looks, apparently resigned to Lissa's pranks.

After a quick breakfast, the still drowsy Robin managed to saddle up Astrid and follow a wide awake Chrom and Frederick, who led the Shepherds into the meadows of South Town, prepared for the two-day journey to Regna Ferox. Though both Vaike and Lissa looked as groggy as he was, (the latter had apparently crashed after spending half the night scheming for her plan to prank Robin) he was irritated to find Virion wide awake and already trying to flirt with an uncomfortable Sumia.

Since Lissa had literally gotten no sleep the night before, she had collapsed behind Robin with her arms wrapped around his waist and her face pressed into his back, mumbling in her sleep. Fortunately, Astrid didn't mind the extra weight, and despite his anger at her Robin couldn't but feel his heart skip a beat on the adorable display.

"Why sir Robin!" Virion exclaimed. "You sly dog you. It is not everyday that a princess-"

"Gods I do not care for you right now," Robin scowled, his temper flaring.

Virion chuckled. "It would seem our noble tactician is not a morning person, considering the bags underneath his eyes."

Before Robin could reply with a scathing comment, Sumia ran over to Robin's mount, stroking her long face. "Oh! You picked Astrid then? You really have great taste!"

Robin gave a tired smile. "Chrom told me about how much you love animals."

Sumia blushed, but her smile was radiant. "Did he really? I didn't realize he noticed!"

"Of course I noticed Sumia," Chrom said, turning back to her. "I've seen you with the Pegasi. You're practically a horse whisperer."

Sumia turned the shade of Sully's armor and muttered something unintelligible, but Chrom didn't seem to noticed. Virion jumped on the opportunity.

"A beautiful maiden, insecure and uncertain if her prince shares her feelings," Virion said as though he was reciting a poem. "Though if she noticed the deep longing on her captain's face she would not have anything to fear."

"C-can we stop talking about this?" Sumia asked, her face somehow even a darker shade of red, as Robin, Lissa, and Vaike (who had apparently been listening) laughed.

It was about a half of a mile when they reached the borders of Ylisstol, and in that time they had passed many villages and fields. The civilians cheered them on when they passed, saluting or running over to greet them. The village maidens in particular seemed especially interested in them.

Robin realized he shouldn't have been surprised. The Shepherds were a very attractive group of people and well known as the heroes of Ylisse. He chuckled at how easily Frederick and Chrom could get flustered, though Vaike and Virion seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Apparently the men weren't nearly as aggressive as the women, and Robin had an idea why. Lissa will still asleep and Sully held an air of intimidation; even her horse seemed suddenly ferocious. Sumia got a little more attention, but they backed off when they saw Chrom's almost murderous expression.

Even Robin, whom wore Plegian robes and had never even been introduced to the crowds found himself on the receiving end of suggestive comments from the ladies. Not sure how to act, he tried to ignore them.

The only man who received no attention at all was poor Kellam, who was looked past like he wasn't there at all. The quiet Knight just shrugged, leading Robin to believe this was a normal occurrence.

When they finally managed to make it past their admirers (which was no mean feat considering Virion stopped to flirt with every girl he met) they found themselves atop a large hill.

"Well this is where the Risen were spotted," Chrom muttered. "We'd better get our weapons out."

"Risen?" Robin asked, though he had a feeling he knew what Chrom meant.

"Those monsters we fought the other day," Frederick said. "They needed a name and so we gave them one."

"And they were spotted here?" Vaike asked, looking excited. "I can't wait to give them a taste of my trusty-HEY! Where's my axe?"

"There they are," Virion said with a snarl, his keen eyesight picking up on the Risen on the other side of a bridge ahead of them.

"Vaike this is no time for games!" Chrom shouted. Robin slid off Astrid, patting Lissa on the shoulder to wake her.

"Wha's going on?" Lissa asked, drowsy, but Vaike's frantic shout had her wide awake.

"I'm not playin' anything!" Vaike said frantically. "I had my axe here a second ago!"

Chrom rolled his eyes. "Then stay out of the way. Robin any plans?"

Before the tactician could answer, another voice shouted behind him.

"WAIT FOR ME!"

Robin turned around in time to see a man on a horse thundering towards them, a woman grabbing around his waist with one hand, the other holding her floppy hat in place.

The man stopped, but the impact threw him off his horse and onto the ground with a crash. The woman sighed, sliding off far more gracefully.

"Can I get a hand here?" The man on the ground groaned. Robin held up a hand, and the man took it, rising to his feet.

He and his horse wore green armor, and his hair looked messy and unkempt. "Why am I always the last one to find out about these missions. I had to skip breakfast!"

"Indeed," the woman said, adjusting her glasses. "Breakfast is considered to be of utmost importance. We could scarcely consume a mere collation. I demand you to enlighten us on the particular reason of our ignorance for this reason."

Robin blinked. "Er…..what?"

But the woman forgot about their lack of breakfast immediately. "Ah! I would surmise you to be our newly instated tactician?"

"Uh yeah that would be me. Nice to meet you," Robin said, holding out a hand, but the woman simply tutted.

"The tactician who ironically was defeated in chess? This is most disquieting," she said dryly.

Vaike snickered. "I think she's making fun of you, bro."

She wheeled on him. "And you, buffoon. I should have known you were the ignoramus who mislaid their weapon."

She thrusted an axe into an astonished Vaike's hands.

"W-wow, thanks Miriel. For the weapon anyway," Vaike laughed nervously.

"Hmmm," Miriel said, looking thoughtful. "Perhaps next time I will use a spell to fasten it to your hand…"

"So you'd be Miriel then? The top mage of Ylisse?" Robin asked. Miriel nodded.

"You are correct. It is most gratifying to be recognized."

"If the introductions are finished then we'd better start taking action!" Frederick snarled, finally losing patience. "Robin, do you have a plan or not?"

"R-right!" Robin said, quickly running up from behind the Knight Commander, peering over at the Risen that were slowly shambling towards the drawbridge that separated them from the Shepherds. Several archers were already taking aim.

"How far does the river go? Can you find away around it?" Robin asked Frederick, who nodded.

"It would only be a few minutes on horseback," Frederick replied.

"Good, then I want you to lead Stahl and Sully around there," Robin explained. "We can catch them off guard easy enough."

He turned to Sumia. "Can you take care of Astrid? Chrom, Vaike and I are going to meet the Risen on the bridge to hold them off until Frederick arrives on the other side."

Sumia instantly grabbed Robin's horse by the reins, leading her away.

"Virion and Miriel, I want the two of you to cover us from this side. Focus on the archers, and we'll handle the rest. Lissa, get as close to the bridge as you possibly can in case one of us needs healing, got it? Just don't put yourself in danger."

"Right!" Lissa said, holding up her staff. Robin tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Am I forgetting anyone?"

"Just me, sir," Kellam said forlornly. Robin slapped himself in the face.

"Right Kellam, sorry. I just need you to guard Lissa. Everyone clear on their roles?"

"I believe so! Shepherds, to battle!" Chrom roared, leading the charge as the riders cut to the left.

Robin followed after Chrom and Vaike, the latter swinging his axe strong enough to shatter his first opponent's weapons, spinning and beheading it with ease. Chrom and Robin were on two more a second later, forcing them back and off the bridge.

Virion nocked arrow after arrow, each shot bringing down an archer. Miriel held out a hand, throwing fire that blasted through several of the Risen, reducing them to cinders. Robin noted that she was as proficient at fire magic as he was at thunder.

Robin himself hacked and slash, succeeding in bringing down the two Risen lunging towards him. Vaike whistled at him as he dodged an axe swing, kicking the zombie he was fighting off the bridge and into the water below.

"Whoa, where was that spirit yesterday?" He asked, moderately impressed. Chrom slashed through flesh with Falchion, single handedly fighting off four Risen at once.

"Robin, we can't fight like this forever, three swordsmen alone can't stop a small army," He said evenly, cutting through one of the Risen. The other three lunged for him, but Robin was at Chrom's side in a moment.

"We can always burn down the bridge," Robin said, trying to keep his voice reassuring. "And I am no ordinary swordsman!"

Chrom seemed to understand immediately, protecting Robin as the tactician switched from sword to spell book. "Elthunder!"

The lightning spell shot over Chrom's shoulder and struck the Risen, the power of the strengthened thunder spell strong enough to blast all three of them backwards, disintegrating them as soon as they hit the ground.

Chrom grinned and Vaike flashed a thumbs up, but despite the impressive display the mob of Risen threatened to overwhelm the bridge. Virion and Miriel did an excellent job to slow the main force down, but they could only delay the inevitable for so long. Miriel had abandoned the use of the weaker fire spells for the stronger Elfire, but while the magic supplied more power her mana supply was draining twice as fast. She calculated on the amount of time it would take the horse riders to arrive and compared it to the amount of mana remaining in her supply, grimacing.

Virion on the other hand, was running out of arrows. He could no longer afford to fire indiscriminately, instead focusing on the archers. There will several of them, and fortunately for the dandy noble they could not get clear shots without becoming easy targets. One however, seemed to be cleverer than the others, remaining out of range and behind cover, looking for an opportunity. Virion grit his teeth: He was down to his last bolt.

The three on the bridge fell into silence, now trying to fight off a dozen of the Risen at once. The Shepherds were made up of prodigies, the best fighters of Ylisse, but there were simply too many of the monsters. Finally, it was Vaike who took the first hit, the sword of a Risen slashing through his stomach, leaving a deep cut.

To his credit Vaike did not cry out in pain, simply groaning a little as he fell back against the ropes of the bridge. White hot rage filled him, so when the Risen raised his sword high in the air for the finishing blow, Vaike spun, the axe in his hands suddenly protruding out of his enemy's chest.

As the Risen dissolved, Vaike stumbled back, swearing loudly as two more Risen advanced on him. "I just can't catch a break, huh."

Neither Robin nor Chrom could help him, the two of them fighting off their own problems. Lissa darted forward, staff in hand, and a grin played on the Risen Archer's lips as it finally found it's target.

"No!" Virion exclaimed, shooting his final arrow before the Risen could fire his. It struck the Risen in the shoulder, causing it to screech in pain….but nothing else. The Risen practically cackled as it pulled the bolt out of its wound, black blood spurting out of its would as it dropped the arrow it was going to shoot on the ground, replacing it with Virion's.

Virion went pale, the Risen aiming his own arrow and firing right at Lissa. He shot forward, forsaking his own life in a desperate bid to save the princess.

Lissa turned a little, her eyes managing to widen a split second before the arrow tore through her flesh….

But then Kellam shoved her out of the way, raising his shield to easily block the arrow. "Back off!"

The Risen Archer was so stunned, not having noticed the Knight, that it hadn't even heard the thundering of hooves behind it. A second later Frederick's stallion trampled the archer underfoot as he charged into battle, flanked by Sully and Stahl.

The three riders sprinted into the fray, Robin's plan coming into fruition as they shot through the enemy, dividing the Risen and destroying anything that got in their way.

Robin grinned. "The way is clear Chrom!" He flipped through his spell book as Chrom charged forward with new purpose, slashing and hacking through the Risen in the way of the bridge. Vaike managed to stumble off the bridge into Lissa's arms as she dragged the injured axeman away. The two Risen tried to follow, but Kellam was on them in a minute, his lance spinning and slashing through one of them before they even noticed he was there.

The other snarled, swinging his sword, but Kellam blocked the strike with ease. His lance came low, tripping the Risen and knocking his legs out from under him. Kellam twirled his lance in the air above his head, slamming it down and through the Risen's chest.

Kellam grinned. "Stealthy."

Though Robin and Chrom fought with renewed vigor, it was the Ylissean knights that carried the day. Frederick was a menace as usual, his lance striking at every Risen that touched near him. But it was Stahl and Sully's teamwork that really impressed Robin. They fought like they had done so for years, which Robin supposed very well could be the case.

Sully was like a bull. She was the offense, speed and range, her lance striking hard with power and aggressiveness, without any thought or strategy at all. And yet she worked well with Stahl, letting him move in and leaping around him. Robin had never thought that two horses could play leapfrog, but the two Cavaliers were managing it well.

Stahl was the brain, the defense, and the caution of the two of them. He preferred sword to a lance, and he was the one who defended Sully from blows that could have severely injured her. He struck with far more caution and purpose, so when he aimed a strike, it would be sure to land. Though he hadn't as many kills as Sully, he was the rock and anchor that kept the two from being overwhelmed.

Robin's plan had been to divide and conquer plainly enough, and the Risen were formless and foolish enough to make that possible. Though in a straight up fight the Shepherds would be overwhelmed, by cutting through the mob they were easily able to take their reduced numbers.

Stahl parried a swing from a Risen axe man that was meant for Sully, and the other rider had plunged her lance into its chest before it could regain balance.

"That looks like all of them," Chrom said after gazing at his surroundings. "We'd better move on. I'm worried about the villages around here."

As the Shepherds grabbed their supplies and Robin took Astrid from an amazed Sumia, Miriel coughed. Robin turned, giving her a cautious smile. "Yes?"

"I apologize for my acid tongue earlier," Miriel said, giving Robin a rare smile. "You truly seemed to comprehend the situation and plan accordingly. You have my gratitude."

"Er, thanks Miriel," Robin said, feeling a little awkward. "I try my best."

"Are you kidding Robin?" Sumia asked. "That was amazing! Your swordplay looks much better too!"

Robin blushed, but was interrupted by Frederick. "Get over here you three. There's something you need to see."

His tone sounded a little off, like he was trying to stop from shaking. The three of them went over another hill, where the Ylissean valley was supposed to lie.

"You are looking at what remains of a village that had been teeming with life a mere few hours ago," Chrom said, his fist turning white as he clenched his hand around Falchion.

Houses were overturned and destroyed, the remains of fire and smoke filling the air. Bodies everywhere…

The Risen hadn't simply ransacked the village. They had razed it to the ground.

Marth's words filled Chrom's head, like they had when they had kept him up the night before.

" _This attack was merely a prelude of what is to come."_

000

Whoahahaho! Change in tone, huh?

This is the longest chapter so far, so I hope you guys enjoyed. Any reviews/predictions are greatly anticipated!

Oh and I'm still not convinced on a wife for Robin! You guys still have time to convince me! Hell if you guys all really want Lucina, I'll do it.

And cookie for anyone who gets the Astrid reference.


	4. Chapter 4

000

"So," Robin said, pointing to one of the village houses. "That's where your mother is being held captive, Donny?"

"Th-that's right, sir!" the boy affirmed. "They said they'd punish 'er if I tried to stop 'em!"

Robin, Chrom, and Donny were crouched down behind some bushes, spying on the village from decent cover. The other Shepherds watched from various vantage points, glaring down as the bandits ransacked the city.

Donnel was a tanned boy that looked a little younger then Lissa. He wore makeshift armor and even wore a brass bucket on his head. Despite the oddity, Robin had to admit it suited him well.

The Shepherds had found the kid running away from a small pack of bandits. After Vaike and Chrom demolished them the boy begged for their help in saving his home village from a bandit attack.

From what the two could piece together, Donnel's father had been killed during the attack. The poor kid did a good job hiding his pain, but his eyes were red from crying, and his grip on his wooden lance was tight.

"Compared to the Risen we've been fighting these guys should be a piece of cake," Chrom said, ever the optimist.

"Don't get cocky," Robin warned. "They defeated the squad of Pegasus Knights that came to protect the village. They're capable at the very least, and they have the entire town in their grip. If we screw up then we could end up sentencing the lot of them to execution."

"Well, you're the tactician," Chrom said with a chuckle. "Got a plan?"

"Yeah," Robin said after a pause. "They don't have any mounted units. If we find a way to scatter them then Frederick and the others can finish them off. I don't see any archers either, so we can afford some distance."

He got up, brushing himself off. "We'd better get moving if we want to protect their livestock."

As Chrom and Donnel got up to follow them, Chrom put a hand on Donnel's shoulder. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I…uh yessir!" Donnel said, standing up straight. "I'm just a little queasy. I've never even stuck a pig!"

"Well nobody's forcing you to fight, Donny," Chrom said, rubbing his chin. "But a sickle isn't too different from a sword, and no man is born a warrior. Ha, as a farmer you have a better start than I ever did."

Donny looked pale, but he nodded. "I don't got a choice, do I? I may not be a fighter, but these 're my people. I have to do whatever I gotta."

"That's the spirit," Chrom said with a grin. "Show them that they messed with the wrong village."

000

"All right that's it! I'm sick 'a waitin'!" Roddick growled, finally stopping pacing. A line of villagers was kneeling, hands over their necks. He grabbed one of them by the shirt and threw him down.

"Kid, I KNOW you're around here! Show yourself now or Euclid's gonna remove this poor chap's head."

"Please!" A woman cried, unable to stop herself from letting out a sob. "He's only a boy! He's no threat to you!"

Roddick stared at her, realization dawning on him. "Wait a minute. I remember you. You're the harpy of that man that broke my rib! So that little boy is his son? Well ain't that fuckin' ironic!?"

He leaned down, grinning at her horrified gaze. "Before I was just gonna kill the rotten bastard, but now? Ohoho no, I've got to savor this. In fact, I'll even give you a front seat performance. You're lucky; there ain't gonna be any reruns!"

He laughed. "That's it. I've waited long enough! Euclid, kill the guy!"

Euclid laughed. "With gusto."

The man squirmed around in fear. Euclid raised his axe, but a second later an arrow was protruding out of his forehead. With a dull groan, he collapsed backwards.

Roddick actually bleated like a sheep. "What the hell was that!"

Virion chuckled from where he was perched in the low branch of a tree. "Oh, I hope the bards sing of _that_ shot!"

He gave a roguish grin as he drew back an arrow. "Now to court with Lady Luck herself!"

A bandit lost his mind, rushing the villagers with the intent of killing them all with one swing. Virion's next bolt hit the pot on the one of the villager's heads, ricocheting and hitting the bandit in the leg, who fell with a yowl of pain.

"He's not human!" A bandit said, stumbling back. They panicked, running to avoid the archer's fire.

"Aha _! Éparpillés comme le vent_!" Virion chortled. He managed to fell two more of the bandits before Frederick burst out the trees, flanked by Stahl, and Sully. Miriel was sitting behind Frederick on his horse, muttering spells under her breath.

The riders ran around the village in laps, bringing down the stragglers and keeping them from grouping together. Robin, Chrom, Donnel, Vaike and Kellam ran forward, doing their best to form a wall to protect the villagers as Sumia and Lissa dragged them to safety.

"Ma! Are you okay?" Donnel asked, shoving a bandit back with the butt of his lance.

"Donny?" The woman asked, bewildered. "What do you think your-"

Roddick shoved her to the side, rushing forward. "The kid's dead meat!"

Donnel gulped, bringing up his lance to block the swing of Roddick's axe. The bandit pressed him hard, clearly more skilled than his subordinates, but Donnel was quicker. He dodged and blocked, leading the man as far from the fleeing villagers as he could.

Eventually the bandit was thrown off balance, giving Donny the opportunity to drive his lance into his shoulder. Roddick roared in pain, kicking the boy in the chest to knock him down.

"Time t' die, boy!" Roddick cackled, swinging the axe over his head, completely ignoring the lance still embedded in his shoulder.

Out of sheer instinct Donnel threw his head forward, shattering Roddick's nose with the brass pot on his head. Roddick squealed in pain, clutching his nose as Donnel ripped out the lance from the man's chest.

"C'mon Donny," Donnel whispered in his head as he spun around, running Roddick through with the lance. The man managed a gasp of pain before he collapsed, sliding to the floor.

Donny stepped on the now dead bandit's chest to pull his lance free with a grunt. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Whowee."

In the long fight between them, the Shepherds managed to defeat the rest of the bandits. While the whole event was a scare, there had been no casualties. Apparently, the bandit attacks had been a common occurrence and the villagers knew better than to resist.

"Please, stay the night!" The village elder pleaded. "It is all we can do after all you've done for us!"

Chrom began to refuse, but Lissa threw him such a dirty look that he faltered.

Frederick shrugged, the casual movement looking odd on the ordinarily stiff and polite knight. "If we leave early in the morning we'll arrive at Regna Ferox this time tomorrow. Normally I'd advise we camp, but with the Risen crawling around…"

"All right, alright!" Chrom said in surrender. "We can stay the night."

The other shepherds sighed in relief, grateful for a chance to relax. Donny whooped in joy.

"C'mon Chrom! You can stay at our house!" He exclaimed, before his mother slapped him in the back of his head.

"Donnel! You're in the presence of royalty!" she snapped.

Donny gulped. "'M-mighty sorry lord."

Chrom chuckled. "It's fine. I'm not one for formalities anyway."

As the Shepherds were led to their room and board, Chrom nudged Robin.

"Did you see him fighting?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yeah," Robin said with a nod. "He looked like he knew what he was doing."

"Did you know that was his first fight?" He asked, and Robin whirled around in surprise.

"Whoa."

"Right?" Chrom said with a chuckle. "The kid's got a ton of untapped potential. In fact….I was wondering…"

Realization dawned on Robin's face. "You want to make him a Shepherd?"

"Why not?" Chrom asked. "We've never cared much about upbringing; look at Vaike! Shepherds are chosen through skill alone, and Donnel has a ton of potential. I'm sure Frederick could whip him up into shape fast."

"He helped improve my swordplay quite a bit," Robin admitted. "Think his mother will let him go, though?"

Up ahead, Donny's mother was scolding him as Donny answered with meek "yes ma's".

"Yeah that might be a problem," Chrom admitted.

000

Robin watched Sully and Stahl's duel with a raised eyebrow. Stahl was no slouch, but he was getting his ass handed to him.

Robin helped Stahl to his feet after Sully knocked him into the mud for the umpteenth time. "We get a chance to rest and you two use it to spar?"

"Hey, this IS relaxing, egghead," Sully snorted.

"Speak for yourself," Stahl mumbled as he spat out some dirt. "I'm pretty sure you cracked a rib that time."

"Aw come on, no partner of mine is gonna be a wimp!" Sully challenged. "We're gonna keep trainin' until you put up a good fight!"

"Stahl," Robin whispered in his hear. "She's all offense. Just don't get swept up and you'll find an opening quickly enough."

Stahl nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Alright, Sully. I'm ready."

Sully grinned like something feral, before charging like an ox. Stahl defended, managing to keep up as solid defense against her fierce blows.

Sully, noticing he was putting up a better fight than usual, swung down her weapon to cross with Stahl's, locking in a struggle. Stahl gulped as he felt himself losing the power struggle…but just as Robin said…

Sully shouted in surprise as Stahl knocked her legs out from her, shoving her to the ground. She tried to rise, but Stahl's practice blade was at her throat.

Sully grinned. "'Atta boy!" She clasped him on the shoulder, and Stahl threw Robin a grateful look. Robin gave the man in green a thumbs up as he walked over to Sumia and Miriel, who were deep into the book they were reading.

Vaike was sitting with them, clearly bored. When he saw Robin, he grinned. "Hey! Whaddya say we go head to head?"

Robin shook his head in disbelief. "Is that all you guys want to do? I actually wanted help with some revenge against Lissa."

Vaike looked like a kid on Christmas. "We're gonna prank her?"

Robin smirked. "That's right. You two want to help?"

Miriel simply mumbled something unintelligible, but Sumia looked up.

"Um…I don't really want to get involved."

"Suit yourself," Robin said. "Just don't rat us out, all right?"

Sumia giggled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"So, what's the plan then?" Vaike asked, wrapping an arm around Robin.

"Well, how does Lissa feel about amphibians?"

000

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, VAIKE!" Lissa screeched.

The girl's hair was disheveled and her expression murderous. The other Shepherds looked on with various expressions of horror (except for Sully, who was grinning triumphantly) as she whacked Vaike as he howled in pain.

"Ow, hey quit it!" Vaike yelled as he covered his face.

"This is for sticking frogs in my bed, jerk!" Lissa growled, aiming strikes for his face.

"Why are you so mad, it wasn't even my idea. Robin was the one who-"

Lissa looked up with an expression that made Robin's blood run cold. _Vaike, you traitorous bastard._

"I'll get my revenge," she whispered, and Robin shuddered. Thankfully, he was saved by Donny's drawl.

"Ya want ME to join yer ranks?" he asked in surprise. Chrom nodded.

"Only if you want to. We've noticed you have a great aptitude, and you'd be a great addition to the Shepherds," Chrom said.

"I….but Donny, h-he's just a boy," his mother said. "He doesn't know how to fight."

"I beg to differ," Frederick interjected. "He put on quite an impressive show against those bandits. A bit of training and he'll be a fine soldier."

"Ma, ya gotta let me," Donnel pleaded. "I'll make the village proud, I promise! I wanna get strong enough so that no bandits can bother us again!"

The woman wiped a tear from her eye. "You're remindin' me of your father. Just make sure to come back to us when the war is over."

And so, a few hours later, Donnel joined them on their trek to Regna Ferox. He held up a steady conversation with Lissa, which Robin thought was good for her. After all, without Maribelle there was nobody her age.

"Hey," Kellam said, reminding Robin he was there and in the process nearly threw him off Astrid. "Is that what I think it is?"

"By the gods, is that a Pegasus?" Frederick asked, dismounting.

Robin had never seen a Pegasus before, (besides the few broken mounts they had found belonging to the Pegasus Knights that had died defending the village from the bandits), but Robin was sure that they weren't supposed to be painful to watch. The poor thing was covered in dirt, with one of its wings was bent in the wrong angle. Chrom walked forward, reaching for the reins, but in the next instant he was rolling to the side to avoid being kicked in the face.

"This beast is crazed!" He cried out, causing Vaike and Sully to snicker.

"C-captain! Let me help!" Sumia said, darting forward. She tripped, falling on her face again. Pushing herself to her feet with a heavy blush, Sumia took hold of the reins very cautiously. Her whispering words of comfort calmed the pegasus, and soon it was enjoying Sumia stroking its neck.

"Whoa, Sumia! You're like some sort of animal whisperer!" Lissa said. Sumia blushed.

"Don't mention it. I'd better stay behind to tend to her. We'll catch up, captain."

"Are you sure?" Chrom asked, rising to his feet. "We can make time to-"

"No!" Sumia said. "I'll be fine. We can catch up as soon as we're able."

"Regna Ferox is only an hours' trek from here," Frederick chimed in. "With luck we can send a few healers to her aid."

Chrom nodded. "All right. Stay safe, Sumia."

000

Unfortunately, the further north they traveled the colder it became. Chrom cheerily announced that this meant they were close, and soon everyone had wrapped themselves in thick blankets. Robin was glad that he had his coat, though he had to avoid looking at Lissa directly; she was shivering in the cold and glaring at him.

The longfort was intimidating but plain, nothing decorating it. Robin caught sight of a woman on the battlements…wearing a full suit armour.

"I would advise everyone to be on their best behavior," Frederick said, glaring at Vaike. "We are representatives of Ylisse and should reflect well on our homeland."

"Halt!" The woman cried. She had short hair and hard features. "Your efforts are brave but pointless. If you turn and leave now we will allow you."

Frederick cleared his throat as he and Chrom walked ahead of their group, ignoring Robin's frantic hand motions that implied that they shouldn't. "We are ambassadors from Ylisse, hoping to discuss a possible alliance-"

"Enough, brigand. I will not tolerate being lied to," the woman growled. "You are not the first bandits to lie in such a way, and you will not be the last."

"We're not a bunch of scoundrels!" Chrom grunted. "I am Prince Chrom, brother to the exalt!"

"And I'm the queen of Valm!" The woman cackled. "You realize impersonating royalty is a capital offense, yes?"

Robin swore under his breath. She was trying to bait them into a fight. Before he could announce this realization, Frederick lost his composure.

"How dare you! You will not taunt milord and deny Emmeryn's request!"

"Then prove it on the battlefield," the woman said with a grunt. "That'll be enough for me. If you're truly a prince, fight like one!"

On cue, lancers leaped out from their vantage points, hurling lances at Chrom at high speeds. He only had time to raise a hand over his eyes before a hand grabbed his shoulder, yanking him onto a pegasus.

Frederick hit the ground in a slide, his attempt to save Chrom halted by Sumia, who had simply flown past him. She took to the air, dodging arrows and polearms thrown at her.

"Shoot them down already!" The woman barked, leveling her own lance. The Shepherds let out a war cry, charging to meet the Feroxi that stormed out of the longfort.

Robin casted weak thunder spells, trying to make them non-lethal. "Just try not to kill anyone! Miriel, cut the soldiers on the wall off from the rest of the group!"

Miriel answered with a curt nod, raising an open palm as she pooled her mana supply. "Arcfire!"

Pillars of flame burst along the wall of the longfort, forcing the Feroxi soldiers to stumble back. The flames flew high, blocking the rest of the fort from view and separating the soldiers on the ground from the ones above.

Miriel shuddered as she struggled to maintain the spell. She threw Robin an annoyed glance. "Our opportunity is nigh. I suggest you do not squander our temporary advantage."

"I…right…" Robin said, still in awe over the power of the Arcfire spell. He shot a burst of thunder in the air, catching Chrom's attention.

"The air is clear now, and Miriel has them trapped. If you can beat the leader and show her Falchion you can nip this fight in the bud!"

Chrom waved to show he understood, before Sumia launched her pegasus towards the blazing fort.

000

"Better hold on tight, captain!" Sumia said, looking fiercer then Chrom had ever seen her. "Could get bumpy."

"Y-yeah," he managed to stammer. She turned around, giving him a smile that caused his heart to do a relay race. "You'll be fine."

The two shared a smile before Chrom raised his blade to deflect a javelin. "Let's discuss this after the battle."

"Agreed," Sumia said with a giggle. "For Ylisse!"

A Feroxi archer drew back his bow, but the woman in armor but a hand on it. "Don't interfere. The so called princeling is mine!"

Letting out a battle cry and ignoring the flames to her left, the woman crossed lances with Sumia, who struggled to push her back. "My name is Raimi, and you better put up a good fight!"

Sumia let out a little "eep!" and defended, spinning around her own lance to duel Raimi. The two fought with equal skill, their lances clashing in a shower of sparks in a series of complex moves. Chrom held on to Sumia's waist for dear life as Sumia jerked the reins around, trying to gain an advantage.

With a grunt, Raimi found herself being pushed back against the pegasus rider's superior speed and maneuverability. Finding an opening, Chrom slid off the pegasus' back and threw himself at Raimi, forcing her backwards with ease.

Raimi cried out in defiance, swinging her lance in a wide arc, but Chrom managed to duck to the side, swinging down Falchion. In one fluid motion his sword cut Raimi's lance in half.

Before Chrom could press his advantage however, Raimi used her shield to knock his sword to the side. Chrom spun around for another strike but could not penetrate her thick defense.

Sumia flew around, tossing aside her own lance when she realized it wouldn't do any good against her thick armor. Chrom slammed down his blade on Raimi's shield, the two meeting in a standstill.

Seeing an opportunity, Sumia dove off her pegasus and wrapped her legs around her waist.

"What the-?" Raimi started, but Sumi had already had locked her into a full nelson. Before Raimi could even think about breaking free, the pegasus rider did what she knew best.

Trip.

Raimi's face slammed down on the stone, but Sumia landed in a cartwheel next to Chrom, who stabbed his sword down an inch away from the Feroxi leader's head.

"This is Falchion, the very sword that my ancestor used to defeat the fell dragon many years ago. If this isn't proof enough you can look at the mark of my shoulder."

Raimi laughed, stunning the two Shepherds. "Fair enough! Your fighting styles convinced me of it already anyway. No bandit could fight the way you two did just now."

Chrom helped the woman to her feet. "Can we talk to the khans yet?"

"Of course, they've been expecting you," Raimi said. "Let me just call off my men."

As if on cue, Miriel's fire magic dissipated. The now exhausted mage was being supported by Robin as he fought off a Feroxi swordsman. The other Shepherds were still locked in combat.

"Aww..c'mon," Vaike said, sporting a black eye and scars all over his bare chest. "I wasn't done fightin'!"

Despite the initial hostility, the Feroxi were a friendly, albeit rowdy, group of soldiers. Robin could understand how Ylisse and Regna Ferox could get along so well. Vaike and Sully both looked like they were right at home, and even some of the more subdued Shepherds like Stahl were appreciated for their considerable skill.

"It seems I overestimated the power of diplomacy here," Frederick admitted as they walked toward Arena Ferox, where the west khan could apparently be found. "They view strength more than anything else here."

"They seem like a fun group of people," Robin admitted. "But I hope the khans aren't like Raimi. I'm getting a little sick of being attacked."

"Well it builds character at the very least," Chrom said with a chuckle. Robin couldn't help but notice how close he was to Sumia. He made a mental note to tease him about it later.

"Ugh, stop trying to be Frederick," Lissa said with a groan, prompting several laughs amongst the Shepherds. "And can we get out of the cold already? I'm pretty sure my frostbite's gotten frostbite."

"Alright, alright," Chrom said in surrender. "It's certainly not getting any warmer."


End file.
